Vending machine cabinet



y 6, 1953 B. c. CASE 2,639,961

VENDING MACHINE CABINET Filed Nov. 28, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INYENTORBuryess C Case BY ATTORNEY May" 26, 1953 Filed Nov. 28, 1947 B. C. CASEVENDING MACHINE CABINET It{so s W '1 r T? 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 "1'93 VlNVENTO gurgess C Cage ATTORNEY chine.

Patented May 26, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 6 Claims.

The present invention relates to the construction of vending machinecabinets, and more particularly, to the construction of the cabinetlooking mechanism for coin operated vending machines requiring periodicrestocking, preferably from a location at the front of the machine.

In coin operated vending machines, such as the automatic corn poppinmachine disclosed in my copending joint application Serial No. 786,190,filed November 15, 1947, the machine is preferably operated by acustomer inserting a coin through a coin slot in the front of themachine. that reason, such machines are often positioned in locations atthe points of use where they are readily accessible only from the frontof the ma- Accordingly it is advantageous to provide also for access tothe coin receptacle within the machine and to the internal tankscontaining the raw corn and cooking compound through closures operablefrom the front of the machine. Repair and replacement of the machineoperating me hanism is occasionally necessary and for this purpose adoor is provided in the rear of the machine, through which the mechanismcan be withdrawn.

The general object of the invention is the provision of a vendingmachine cabinet of the character described having an improved closurelocking system operable only from the front of the machine. A morespecific object is the provision of a cabinet hinged top and front doorconstruction which prevents opening of the top while the door is closed.A further specific object is the provision of a cabinet having aplurality of closures controlled by a single key-operated lock.

The various features of novelty which characterize my invention arepointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming apart of this specification. For a better understanding of the invention,its operating advantages and specific objects attained by its use,reference should be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptivematter in which I have illustrated and described a preferred embodimentof my invention.

Of the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a coin-operated vending machine cabinetconstructed in accordance with my invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken on the line 2--2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section through the front door locking system;

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is an elevation of the inside of the rear wall of the cabinet;

Fig. 6 is a horizontal section taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged elevation of one of the rear door locking devices;and

Figs. 8, 9 and are sections taken on the lines 8-8, 9--9, and Ill-Iorespectively of Fig. 7.

For

The automatic coin operated corn popping machine illustrated in thedrawings as one embodiment of the invention has a sheet metal cabinet 20of general rectangular vertical and horizontal cross-section, providedwith a front door 2|, 2. rear door 22 and a hinged top 23. A coin slot24 is located in the front of the cabinet. The front door has a pianotype hinge 25 along one vertical side and cut outs for windows 26 and21, a bag receiving compartment 28, and a bag slot 29. The front door isrearwardly inclined, as shown in Fig. 2, so that its front side projectsbeyond the adjacent front wall portions of the cabinet. The door sides 2l extend rearwardly to the plane of the cabinet. The rear door 22 has avertical piano hinge 3! along one vertical side and is arranged in theplane of the cabinet rear Wall. The cabinet top 23 has a horizontalhinge 32 on its rear side.

In the machine described, the front door 2|, rear door 22, and top 23constitute all of the movable closures permitting access to the interiorof the machine, the front door permitting front access to the coinreceptacle and operating mechanism, the top permitting access to the rawcorn and cooking compound tanks which have removable top covers, and therear door used for rear access to and removal of the operatingmechanism.

For the purpose of sanitation and safety, it is important thatunauthorized persons be prevented from having access to the interior ofthe machine. In accordance with the invention, the cabinet is providedwith closure locking provisions controlled from a single key-operatedbarrel type lock 35 on the free side of the front door. The lockcontrols a locking mechanism on the inner side of the front door side 2iconsisting of an arm 36 secured to the lock barrel and having ahook-shaped end 31 engaging a stud 38 On the upper end of a verticallymovable lock slide bar 40. As shown in Figs. 2-4, the slide bar 49 isslideably mounted on an inverted vertical channel member 4| secured tothe door side 2 l The channel member has three vertical slots 42, 43 and44 therein through which project studs 45, 46 and l! respectivelycarried by the slide bar. The studs 45 and 41 are mounted as shown inFig. 4 so as to extend on opposite sides of the slide bar 40, the outerportion of the studs extending through the channel member slot having awasher 49 thereon to hold the slide bar in position. The inner portionsof the studs 45 and 41 are arranged to fit into grooves 50 formed in theupper edges of the brackets 5| and 52 respectively mounted on the sideWalls of the cabinet adjacent the bottom and top of the front door:respectively, as shown in Figs. 2-4. The inner portion of the centerstud 4-6 terminates at the .slide bar and this stud serves as a guideonly. FWith the described arrangement the front door can be firmlylocked to the cabinet and readily opened when access is desired.

The locking mechanism for the rear door 22 is mounted at the inner sidethereof and is operable only if the front door is first opened. As shownin Figs. 5-10, the rear door locking mechanism consists of a pair oflift latches '66 and BI pivoted on guide brackets E2 and 63.respectively mounted on the cabinet rear wall adjacent the upper andlower ends respectively of the door. The latches '60, 6| are bent toengage grooved brackets 65 and 66 respectively secured to the rear dooradjacent the guide brackets '62 and 63. The latches are simultaneouslyactuated by aconnecting link 68- and anextension of theupper latch SQ-toform a handle "69.

The hinged top is locked in its closed position by means of an L-shapedmetal strip 10 extending along and secured to the front edge of the top.The strip has a downwardly curved forwardly projecting portion Harranged to fit snugly, within the curved upper edge of the front door'21, so that the top cannot be raised until the front door is opened.The top can be held in its open position when desired by an arm-I4pivoted on one lower side edge of the top. IThe arm is arranged to rideon a bracket 15 projecting from the side wall of the cabinet, and anotch, 16 inv the arm hooks in the bracketlE when the .top is raised, asindicated in broken lines in Fig. 2.

The locking system described provides a simple, but effective,protective construction for the movable closures of the vending machine,insuring access to the interior of the machine only by an authorizedperson. It also permits the daily servicing of the machine to be readilycarried out from the front of the machine, adding to the convenience andspeed of servicing.

Whilein accordancewith the provisions of the statutes I have illustratedand described herein the best form of the invention now known to me,those skilled in the art-will understand that changes may be made intheformof the apparatus disclosedwithout departing from the spirit oftheinvention coveredbymy claims, and that certain features of myinvention may'sometimes be usedto advantage without a, corresponding useof other features.

I claim:

1. A vending machine cabinet having front, rear and side walls, aside-hinged'bulging front door mounted on and projecting beyond thecabinet front wall, a stationary bracket within said cabinet and havinga grooved portion projecting beyond the cabinet front wall, a lockingbar vertically slideable on the inner side of the projecting portion ofsaid front door and having a, projecting stud. arranged to fit into saidgrooved bracket, and a rotary lock in said front door having anoperative connection with said locking bar.

2. A vending machine cabinet having front, rear and side walls, aside-hinged bulging front door mounted on and projecting beyond thecabinet front. wall, a pair of, vertically spaced stationary bracketsmounted on a cabinet side wall and having a grooved portion projectingbeyond the cabinet front wall, a locking bar vertically slideable on,the inner side of the projecting portion of said front door and having apair of projecting studs arranged to fit into corresponding groovedbrackets, and a rotary lock in said front door having an operativeconnection with said locking bar.

3. A vending machine cabinet, having front, rear and side walls,aside-hinged, bulging front door mounted on and projecting beyond thecabinet front wall, a pair of vertically spaced stationary bracketsmounted on a cabinet side wall and having a grooved portion projectingbeyond the cabinet front wall, a locking bar vertically slideable on theinner face of the free side of the projecting portion of said front doorand having a pair of projecting studs arranged to fit into correspondinggrooved brackets, and a rotary lock in said front door having anoperative connectionwith said locking bar.

4. A vending machine cabinet having front, rear and side walls, aside-hinged bulging front door mounted on and projecting beyond thecabinet front wall, a top, closure for said cabinet hinged at its rearend and having its front end projecting intothe upper end of saidfrontdoor, a stationary bracket within said cabinet and having a groovedportion projectingbeyond the cabinet front wall, a locking barvertically sildable on theinner side of the projecting portion of saidfront door and having a, projecting studarranged to fit into saidgrooved, bracket, and a rotary lock in said front, door having anoperative connection. with said locking bar.

5. A vending. machine cabinet having front, rear andside walls, aside-hinged. bulging front door mounted on. and projecting, beyond thecabinet front wall, a top, closure for said cabinet hinged at its rearend and having. its, front end projecting into the upper end of saidfront door, anpair of vertically spaced stationary brackets mounted. ona cabinet side wall and having a grooved portion projecting, beyond thecabinet front wall, a locking bar vertically slideable of the inner faceof, the freeside of the projecting portion of said front door andhavingapair of projecting studsarranged to fit into corresponding groovedbrackets,,and a rotary lock in, saidfront door having an. operativeconnection with said locking bar.

6. A front accessible vending machine cabinet having front, rear,andside walls, a side hinged bulging front door mounted on and,projecting beyond said front wall, a, doorin saidrear wall, a rearwardlyhingedtop, alockinglever, forv said rear door operable only fromtheinner side of said rear. door, the rear upper edge of said front doorbeing arranged in overlapping contact with the front edge of said topwhen closed, a. pairv of vertically,spaced'stationary brackets mountedon the side wall of the cabinet at the free side of said front door and,having a grooved portion projecting beyond the cabinet front wall, alockingbar vertically slideable on.the inner face of the free side ofthe projecting portion of said front door and having a pair ofprojecting studs arranged to fit into corresponding groovedbrackets, anda rotating lock on the free side of said front door and having an offsetportion operatively connected to said locking bar.

BURGESS C. CASE.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATE-SVPA'I'ENTS 4Number Name Date 1,219,360 Storms Mar. 13, 1917 1,531,321 Vance Mar. 31,1925 1,607,099 OConnor Nov. 16, 1926 136111391 Teich Dec. 21, 1926FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 15,874. GreatrBritain, July 7, 1909

